OT- Jim Harbaugh Slur

Submitted by GoBlueScott on
I kind of hate to post this, seeing as the guy was my idol growing up, but with all the prattle about him on the board lately it seemed prudent. If you can't watch, he basically calls the refs
f--king a--hole faggots.
I can't imagine the Michigan faithful supporting that kind of behavior if he ever found himself coaching in Ann Arbor. EDIT: This thread is full of win.
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Jim Harbaugh

Geaux_Blue

December 3rd, 2009 at 8:05 PM ^

oh i already accepted the whammy for using terms that people interpret more broadly than i do. however, i don't think white trash is limited to the poor by any means. in fact, the most white trash people i see on a daily basis are often the most wealthy. you've been fair in your criticism and i appreciate it.

Joined: 01/25/2009

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KinesiologyNerd

December 3rd, 2009 at 4:04 PM ^

yeah i agree with everyone, certainly could have picked his words better, but it was the heat of the moment. I've certainly said worse things in races.. hell I've probably said worse things to my mom watching Michigan games

Joined: 02/10/2009

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Fuzzy Dunlop

December 3rd, 2009 at 4:20 PM ^

What made him think the ref was an inconsiderate Harley rider? In all seriousness, I've been a big proponent of Harbaugh on these boards, but this was terrible. And people making excuses for it should be ashamed. It's a fucking slur, you don't get a "heat of the moment" exemption.

Joined: 09/22/2009

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Ellerbe is Yoda

December 3rd, 2009 at 4:49 PM ^

That one literally made me "LOL". I love South Park. Serious reaction to this- do we REALLY need any more reasons not to want Harbaugh here? 1) DUI issues 2) Trashing Michigan's academics/academic policies 3) Uses homosexual slurs The guy has one good season at Stanford and all of a sudden he's this can't-miss coaching prospect. Well, frankly, he's a huge asshole.

Joined: 09/30/2009

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clarkiefromcanada

December 3rd, 2009 at 9:37 PM ^

I am more surprised that Harbaugh hasn't (yet at least) run into any sort of probs with the campus milieu if he in fact used that language. One can imagine the foment on a highly liberal west coast campus and "heat of the moment" would not resonate reasonably. I've enjoyed reading the back and forth here but an earlier poster made a pretty interesting point in noting he trashed U of M and basically cut his ties with the AD with the AD while throwing his team mates under the bus (right Jamie Morris?), he has one a very limited record at Stanford, apparently has alleged NFL aspirations and, bluntly, seems to not have a filter between his thinking and his mouth. Well, can't much see him coming here... Thus my thinking has moved to "I only like to talk about coaches that are likely to be coaching at Michigan". Best wishes all of you

Joined: 11/20/2008

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jsquigg

December 3rd, 2009 at 4:30 PM ^

I don't get Harbaugh or the hype following him. This is the same guy who thanked Jesus in post game interviews back when he was "Captain Comeback" for the Colts. Like my dad always says: "You can be intense without losing your head."

Joined: 09/06/2009

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jmblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 4:46 PM ^

I'm not a big Harbaugh fan, but honestly, I'd bet most football coaches around the country (at any level) have used that word (not to mention lots of incredibly sexist terms). If you haven't noticed, jock culture tends not to be open-minded on these matters.

Joined: 11/07/2008

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bronxblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 PM ^

While I certainly don't condone using such slurs, if this was a one-time occurrence/slip-up, I wouldn't read too much into it. But based on the way Harbaugh has spoken to the media and bad-mouthed other coaches, coupled with some off-the-field issues (like a DUI), you get a sense that he might be one of those ticking time-bomb-type coaches, the type of guy like Gillespie at Kentucky who looks great on paper but has enough demons that it derails his program at some point. I think he is a decent coach, but as I noted in an earlier post, Ty Willingham had an eerily-similar record at Stanford and, as we've all seen, flamed out at ND and Washington. I wish Harbaugh the best, but those clamoring for him after one good season is a little premature.

Joined: 11/22/2008

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bcsblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 4:51 PM ^

He will say something really horrible at a press conference one time, then have to issue a statement and everyone will freak out. Listen coaches say bad stuff, but an attack on someone, and calling people faggots is not cool. He might be a great coach, who knows. But going on 30 years now, the guy can't keep his mouth shut. At Michigan he ran his mouth non stop, but it was cool because he was "our" guy. In the NFL I don't think anyone could stand the guy. I think it is only a matter of time before, he goes overboard and people get offended. It might be sports culture to yell faggot at people, but do it on tape or have someone say oh he called me a faggot and you have a Defcon 1 situation with the media.

Joined: 11/14/2008

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michgoblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:03 PM ^

Could you imagine the media sh*t shorm that would have erupted if this were RR and not the saintly Harbaugh in this video? Erosion of family values! Hate mingering! Destruction of the fabric of our culture! Say what you want about RR, but he doesn't run his mouth and embarass himself and our university by acting like an ass. (He embarasses us the old fashioned way, by losing 75% of his games - ZING! - /sarcasm)

Joined: 11/16/2009

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Dark Blue

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:04 PM ^

Wait a minute, didn't the Big Ten have to repeatedly tell Bo to go easy on the refs? I remember reading somewhere, that at one point and time the Big Ten contacted Canham to tell Bo to ease up. So I'm not really sure what the big deal is here. Things get said in the heat of battle. Harbaugh may be an ahole but we should not judge him for what he says during a football game.

Joined: 10/02/2009

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Dark Blue

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:21 PM ^

Yes that is exactly what I am saying. Some people are passionate and may not say the most PC things, I myself think Harbaugh is probably that kind of guy. If you are going to complain about this then you also have to complain about Bo, Woody, Bear and all the other great football coaches.

Joined: 10/02/2009

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Fuzzy Dunlop

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:59 PM ^

Well, that's what the whole controversy is about. If it wasn't for the possible use of the word "faggot," no one would be talking about this. You actually thought that this was because Harbaugh lost his temper at a ref? Do you also think that people were mad at Michael Richards because he shouldn't have raised his voice to a comedy club patron?

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Dark Blue

December 3rd, 2009 at 6:07 PM ^

You know, sometimes in the "REAL WORLD", people say things that aren't always politically correct. Whether he said "faggot", "fuckhead", or Pete Carroll what difference does it make. Things happen especially in the heat of battle. I know when I was growing up it was extremely common to call your friends "gay", or "queer." Does that make me a bigot? I don't think so.

Joined: 10/02/2009

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Fuzzy Dunlop

December 3rd, 2009 at 6:15 PM ^

That's the dumbest comparison. I'll say all sorts of horribly offensive things to my friends, in private -- they know what I mean, and what I don't. That doesn't mean I would scream those same insults at someone in public, much less on national TV. One is acceptable, one is not. In the "real world," most people understand this.

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Geaux_Blue

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:36 PM ^

that is absurd. coaches get a pass for being 'passionate' but if, in the middle of a 300 level class, a student debating with another about Chinese quantum physics said "you forgot the 18th century economic collapse of the northern farm region you (insert racist/biggoted term)" that would be unacceptable? or would it be acceptable since some great minds were racist. it's really ridiculous when people put coaches and players on another level than the rest of society bc they make a brown ball go across fields. also, until someone can come forward claiming Bo used the same derogatory term, i would suggest not bringing him into it.

Joined: 01/25/2009

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jmblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:57 PM ^

You cannot seriously be comparing the level of stress/pressure felt by one who is coaching a big college football game with that felt by one in an academic debate. I'd say it's more at the level of a guy fighting with another guy over a girl. What do guys say to each other in that context? For better or worse, "fag/faggot" is still a common sports insult. It's still very much the kind of thing a football coach would utter when he's pissed off. I'm not saying that you have no right to take offense when you hear it; I don't blame you at all. But to single Harbaugh out for this is missing the forest for the trees. He's a product of an entire culture that acts this way. I'd be stunned to learn that Bo never said this.

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Fuzzy Dunlop

December 3rd, 2009 at 6:01 PM ^

I'd be stunned to learn that Bo never said this. I'd be stunned to learn that Bo never used the word "negro." We're in different times, and terms that were once acceptable no longer are. I would be stunned to learn that Lloyd Carr ever used the word "faggot" in front of his players.

Joined: 09/22/2009

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jmblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 8:34 PM ^

I agree. I actually can't see Lloyd saying that. But Lloyd was a bit of an odd duck in the coaching profession. There aren't too many college football coaches out there who are former high school English teachers, hold liberal Democratic political views, and seldom use profanity around players.

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KennyGfanLMAO

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:29 PM ^

Fucking asshole fuckheads. I know that doesn't make sense but people tend to not make sense when they are angry. Either way, it's wrong, but it looked to me like he said fuckheads, not faggots.

Joined: 11/04/2009

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blueblueblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:51 PM ^

I agree, it doesn't look like he said "faggots". Had not someone put the words in a bubble, I would never have remotely thought he used that slur. Was the person who filled in the bubble near him? at the other end of the headset? I dont give a shit about Harbaugh, but this is akin to photoshopping a picture to make someone look bad.

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